Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026
09:54
Using Single-Worm Data to Quantify Heterogeneity in Caenorhabditis elegans-Bacterial Interactions
Published on: July 22, 2022
Stochastic colonization and host-to-host transmission shape gut bacterial variability
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|May 25, 2026
Summary
Early colonization events create significant bacterial load differences in hosts. Environmental spread and bacterial predators regulate this variability, impacting microbial population dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Systems Biology
- Host-Microbe Interactions
Background:
- Understanding bacterial population dynamics within hosts is crucial for microbiota control.
- Inferring these dynamics is difficult due to host variability and monitoring challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate stochastic colonization and environmental factors influencing bacterial population dynamics in hosts.
- To develop a framework for quantifying within-host dynamics from discrete data.
Main Methods:
- Utilized *C. elegans* and *E. coli* models with varying diets.
- Developed a simulation-based inference framework for population dynamics.
- Assessed the impact of bacterial predator *B. bacteriovorus*.
Main Results:
- Early colonization acts as a stochastic bottleneck, causing significant bacterial load divergence.
- Bacterial spread between hosts regulates variability by altering colonization pressure.
- *B. bacteriovorus* reduces bacterial loads by suppressing recolonization and transmission.
Conclusions:
- Host-associated microbial dynamics are heavily influenced by environmental colonization processes.
- Stochastic entry events and environmental factors are key regulators of bacterial loads.
- The developed framework enables inference of dynamics in heterogeneous host populations.
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